Drawing mechanism for textile slivers or rovings



0m. 4, 1938. J. F. JACKSON 2,332,299

DRAWING MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE SLIVERS OR ROVING'S I Filed June 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Uct. 41, I? J. F. JACKSON DRAWING MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE SLIVERS OR ROVINGS Filed June 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4N V EN TOR. /afl500 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 4, 1938 4 f UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFlCE DRAWING MECHANISM Foa TEXTILE SLIVERS on Rovmos John Frederick Jackson, Pawtucket, it. 1., as-

signor to H & B American Machine Company, a corporation of Maine Application June 16, 1937, Serial No. 148,524 3 Claims. (01. 19 1s1) This invention relates to drawing mechanisms all the belts may be applied in an endless form. for textile slivers or rovings; and has for one of Another object of the invention is to provide a its objects the provision of an improved consliver feeding mechanism of the above type which struction of drafting apparatus utilizing belts is removable bodily as a unit from its support or aprons in which each of the individual belts on the machine whereby the endless belts serve 5 or apronsemployed for supporting and carrying solely tofmaintain the parts in assembly when the'strand of sliver or roving from one pair of the unit is taken out of the machine. drawing rolls to another, are of an endless con- With these and other objects in'view, the instruction. I a 1 vention consists of certain novel features of con- Another object of the invention is to provide struction, as will be more fully described, and 10 simple and improved support means for guiding particularly pointed out in the appended claims. the belts whereby they may be easily removed In the accompanying drawings:

and replaced at will without interrupting the Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view looking at the normal operation of the other sections of the end of the drafting rolls, and showing the roll machine or necessitating stoppage of the comstand in which there is applied thereto and posiplete machine with the consequent loss of protioned in operating position one form of unit duction and expense which has heretofore been drafting mechanism embodying my invention; the case during use of the prior art belt mecha- Fig. 2 is a front longitudinal sectional view nisms employing belts or aprons the ends of taken on the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1 showing my feedgo which are cemented together after being put in ing device 'andwith their rotatable members for place. driving the belts and the manner in which the Another object of the invention is to provide a latter are driven; i device which'is readily attachable and detachable Fig. 3 is a front longitudinal sectional'view on. the machine and applied between adjacent taken on the line 33 of Fig. l; pairs of drawing rolls whereby the assembly of Fig. 4 is a longitudinal. sectional view taken on 25 endless belts and their associated rotatable drivthe line 4-44 of Fig. 1; ing' members may be bodily removed as a com- I Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a belt mechaplete unit from the machine. nism embodying my invention;

Another object of the invention is to provide FigfG is a' perspective view of one of the side 39 a-unit device containing endless feeding belts, plate members of the cradle frame;

driving members, and a guide support therefor Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the guide supthat is so constructed to be completely devoid port for th Upp IOWBI" belts; of any mechanism requiring attachment to 01' Fi 8 is a p sp v w of the companion having embracing relation with a fixed driving side plate of the set of the cradle frame shown roll on the machine to be upheld thereby. in Fig. 5; 35 Another object of the invention is to provide Fig. 9 is a modified form of side plate of a a device of the above type constructed with a cradle frame which may be used in place of that plurality of sets of endless belts each set of shown in Fig, 6; and which has cooperating runs'between which the F 10 is a modified f of guide pp for sliver or roving travels in which the arrangethe upper a d lower e s and dapted for use 40 ment is such that one of the rotatable members with the side plate ShOWn in for driving one of the belts of each set has posi- Heretofore, in the construction and operation tiveldriving connection with a single elongated of the Common for o pp atus of this class continuous drive shaft disposed beneath the parutilizing endless belts p s, u h members ticular driven rotatable member for the respeca been usually guided and suppor e by a tive belt. frame or cradle having side plates for confining Another object of the invention is to provide the bel s and rigidly J tOgetheI y tab e a device so constructed that spaced sets of guide ds and guide bars provide a unitary ucsupports are provided about which run th forture. This frame or cradle, furthermore, is comward bight of each of the endless belts travels monly provided with a pair of detachable bars or 50 in which the guidesupports of each set are carrods at its forward portion over which the front ried by separate cradle frames which guide the loop of the belts is guided in close proximity to movements of each set of belts and are detachthe drawing rolls. However, in the machines ably supported solely by the removable rotatable employing this prior arrangement the lower roll cylinder members for driving the belts whereby carrying the bottom belt has. usually consisted of 55 a single elongated fluted roll which ordinarily extends substantially the entire length'of the machine and is made up of a series of sections joined together at their ends for driving connection. The upper roll usually is short and formed with a pair of spaced belt engaging portions, this roll is loosely mounted at its ends in the usual cap bars and consequently is easily removable therefrom to permit insertion in the loop of the upper belt, which thus may be initially made endless by cementing of the ends together. Owing to the great length and unitary construction of the lower roll around which the bottom belt runs, it is impractical to employ a previously fabricated endless apron or belt in this location, thus making it necessary to cement the ends of the belt in place each time it is renewed, which process requires stopping the machine with the attendant loss of production; and in order to provide a construction which is particularly suitable for such drafting apparatus and to improve and simplify such belt mounting construction, I have provided a unit device of a floating type of construction employing an exterior driving roll for the belt cylinders and wherein a plurality of pairs of belts are arranged separated in spaced positions with each pair in cooperating relation and guided between a cradle device so arranged that the side plates thereof guide the belts against lateral slipping and carry the guide supports for the forward loops of the belts, in which such cradle is constructed to receive and be supported entirely by the insertable driving rolls for the endless belts and not to rest on and be carried by any single fixed continuous roll extending the entire length of the machine, as has heretofore been the previous arrangement with the result that endless belts could not be used onthe lower roll, thus preventing the raising and removal of the entire assembly as a unit; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageousresults may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawings, I6 designates one of a series of spaced roll stands which is well known construction in the art each having a standard I I provided with a suitable base portion (not shown) whereby each of the stands may be rigidly mounted on a suitable support of the frame of the machine. As shown in Fig. 1 each roll stand is provided with a top platform member I2 having its forward end extending upwardly to form the usual journal for the front bottom rolls I3. At the rear of each of the roll stands and on the platform I2 is adjustably secured a bearing block l5 on which is journaled the bottom back roll IS. The rolls I3 and I6 may be formed either with a smooth cylindrical outer surface or of a fluted construction, as desired. This block I5 is formed at its bottom with a suitable longitudinally extending channel for interfitting seating engagement with a cooperating tongue portion on the upper face portion of the platform I2 of the roll stand, as is the usual construction in the art. The forward portion of this block I5 is of reduced thickness and at the rear of this portion is a bolt I! the lower end of which extends through a slot I8 formed in the platform I 2 of each roll stand and having a nut I9 threaded thereon .and engaging at its upper end the lower face of the platform I2, as is well known construction in the art, for permitting adjustment of the block I5 and the lower back roll I6 towards and from the lower front roll I3.

The rolls I3 and I6 are each of a sectional construction in which a plurality of short sections are keyed together at their ends to provide a single continuous elongated shaft which is journaled at a plurality of intervals in the roll stands and extending the entire length of the machine, as usual, the rolls being positively driven at different speeds by suitable gearing (not shown) at the end of the machine, at rates whereby the draft on the yarn, sliver or roving between the successive rolls is increased. The rolls I3 and I6 are each formed with fluted portions 20 and 2| respectively, at intervals along their length and are alternately arranged in spaced relation with smooth cylindrical spacing portions (not shown) of a lesser diameter therebetween, as is the common construction in the art.

A driving roll 24 also in the form of asingle continuous shaft of similar elongated sectional construction as the lower rolls I3 and I6 andextending the entire length of the machine, is provided at intervals with a plurality of spaced bearing portions 25 which are journaled in the forward reduced portion of the block I5 in the roll stands. By loosening the nut IS, the rolls I6 and 24 being journaled in the common bearing block I5 thus may be moved with the block and simultaneously positioned at desired adjusteddistances towards or from the lower front roll I3. Positioned on the driving roll 24 between the successive bearing portions 25 and at spaced'intervals therealong are a plurality of enlarged hubs 28 and 29 which, as shown in Fig. 3, form a rest or support members for purposes which will hereinafter be described. Located at intervals on the driving roll 24 and between the pair of hubs 28 and 29 is positioned an enlarged fluted hub portion or gear 30, the diameter of this gear being greater than the diameter of either of hubs 28 and 29, and employed for purposes to presently appear. This gear and the hubs 28 and 28 may each be formed integral with the shaft of the roll 24 or they may comprise separate parts which are fixed in position on the roll. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the driving roll 24 is located below the line of travel of the fibers of sliver or roving, which is designated at S by the dot and dash lines so as to be tangent to the peripheries of the fluted portions 20 and 2I of the lower rolls I3 and I6 respectively, and the arrangement is such as to permit my particular belt mechanism which will presently be described and embodying the present invention, to be mounted above the driving roll 24 and in a superposed cooperating relation thereto without changing the relationship of the line of travel of the yarn, as indicated by the broken line S, whereby the latter may travel between the cooperating surfaces of a pair of juxtaposed belts of my intermediate belt unit.

'As shown. in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the block I5 has a rearward extension 30 thereon in which is mounted a pivot rod 3I to which may be fixed, as by suitable set screws, a plurality of cap bars 33. Ordinarily, there are more cap bars than roll stands, a cap bar being provided for each roll stand I0 and others being positioned intermediate of the stands, the bars being arranged for forward pivotal swinging movement over the rolls I3 and I6. As illustrated, each cap bar is of extensible construction, it being formed of two sec tions 34 and 35, and connected by a telescopicrod 36. The rear section 34 is shown as being provided with oppositely disposed vertical arranged channels or slots 31 having open ends at the top face of the cap bar and extend downwardly theretit from for loosely receiving trunnions or journals 38 at. the ends of the rear upper rolls 49. The channels 31 may be provided as. a deep cut in the top face of the arms 33 or in the opposite side faces thereof as separate channels extending inwardly from the sides of the cap bar arm, in which latter case they extend in a vertical direction throughout the entire depth of the-arms. Similarly,.the front section 35 is provided with oppositely disposed vertically arranged slots M positionable above the lower roll l3 and form guides for loosely receiving the trunnions or journals 42 of the front top rolls 43, the rolls 49 and 43 being formed with spaced sections (not shown) which are customarily provided with a leather or cork outer covering and adapted to rest upon the underlying fluted sections 29 and 2! of the bottom rolls l3 and M respectively. The above described parts have been shown in their conventional arrangement without the usual weighted saddle means for properly weighting the upper rolls 49 and 43 and maintaining them in place, as is well known in the art, such means forming no particular feature of the present invention. At a point intermediate these channels 3? and ll the cap bar 33 is thickened as at 55 to provide a lug which extends downwardly into close proximity to the lower drive member 24, and vertical channels 16 formed in this lug 45 are oppositely disposed and extend throughout the entire depth thereof at a location above and in vertical alignment with the axis of the driving roll 24. These channels 46 and 59 form guides in which ride and are loosely supported the trunnions of the front belt guide members and the belt driving rolls of my drawing mechanism, as will be presently more fully described.

' As illustrated in the drawings, there is shown disposed between the sets of nip rolls one form of apron or belt mechanism for feeding and conducting the sliver or roving to the drawing rolls, and according to the present invention it comprises a pair of endless belts or aprons i and 52 which are positioned on to encircle a pair of rotatable driving cylinders or rolls 54 and 55 respectively, each of which belts has insertable within its loop its. respective driving roll while the forward end of the belts 55 and 55 are positioned about and run over a pair of front guide members 51 and 58 respectively. The rolls 54 and 55 for the upper and lower belts have provided at each end journals or trunnions 65 and GI respectively,

adapted to loosely fit within and be removably mounted for sliding and rotary movement in the vertical slots 46 formed in the oppositely disposed faces of adjacent cap bar arms 35. The rolls 54 and 55 are of similar construction of which the former is an idler roll, while the latter is adapted to be positively driven by the roll 24, the rolls 54 and 55 each are provided with a pair of spaced belt-driving sections 52 and 63, and an intermediate hub section 55 of reduced diameter, said sections 62 and 63 each being formed with cylindrical end portions 65, 65 between which lies an intermediate portion 65 which is provided with a roughened surface formed either by knurling, milling or fiuting the same. Located intermediately between the belt driving sections 52 and S3 of the lower roll 55 is a driving hub or gear 58 which is of approximately the same diameter as that of the belt driving sections of this roll so as to be adapted for intermeshing with and have positive driving connection with the driving gear 29 of the lower elongated driving roll 24 when the belt mechanism assembly is mounted in proper operating position in the machine, as will be hereinafter described.

As illustrated, the guide frame for each set of belts 5! and 52 is loosely mounted on the lower rotatable cylinder member or roll 55 and comprises a pair of side plates l9 and ii and which may be connected by suitable strut members (not shown) and rigidly secured to the side plates to provide a unitary structure. The bottom edges of each of the side plates 75 and H are recessed, as indicated at M and respectively, so as to permit them to fit over and embrace the reduced portions 55 and 77 respectively, of the lower roll 55 employed for driving the bottom belt 52. The side plates in and II also have their top edges provided with upper recessed portions 79 and 89 to loosely receive and locate the top rotatable cylinder member or roll 5! by which the upper belt 5| is driven.

The side plates 19 and H each have positioned at their front portion a pair of guide bars 51 and 58 for the forward loops of the belts and which extend laterally between adjacent plates of each set and are integrally secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by screws 8!. Provided at the ends of each of the guide bars 5'] and 5B, are the projections 89 and 85 and are each formed with flat top and bottom faces which fit into a pair of spaced notches 86 and 81 having flat walls and formed by slotting the front end faces of each of the plates "l9 and ii. The guide bars 57 and 58 after having their projections 84 and 85 inserted in place in the notches 86 and B! respectively are thus positioned in spaced relation one to the other and are encircled by the forward loops of the belts 5i and 52 respectively, as shown in Fig. 5. The rear face of the plate 19 is provided with a rearwardly projecting hook portion 39 to receive the journals or trunnions at the ends of a clearer roll 39 to engage the outer surface of a plurality of lower bolts 52.

In. accordance with this construction, the screws 85 at each end of the guide bars thus rigidly secure them to the side plates 79 and H so that the entire assembly may be simultaneously withdrawn as a unit from the cap bars 33.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 9, the guide bars 57 and 55 are each formed of relatively wide bar stock the front or leading edge of which is beveled and curved in order to provide a smooth tapered rounded surface over which the inner circumference of the forward run of each of the belts travels. The guide bars 5] and 58 are shown as being of similar construction and thus may be interchangeable one with the other in the side plates it! and l i. The spacing between the guide bars 5'! and 58 always should be, however, substantially greater than the thickness of the belts 5i and 52 so as to accommodate the regular passage of the sliver or roving between the cooperating surfaces of the belts without preventing the proper functioning of the latter.

Referring to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, the construction there shown comprises a modified form of cradle device embodying my invention in which the side plate 99 corresponds to the side plate 19 of the other device previously described, but in the modified form the front edge of the side plate 99 is shown as being provided with a projection 9| having shoulders 92 and 93 for positioning a pair of guide bars 95 and 96, the ends of the latter being provided with projections 97 and 98, and the bottom and rear faces of the projections 91 and the top and rear faces of the projections 98 meeting rearwardly at a right angle corner Cal whereby they may be positioned into seating engagement in a right angular corner provided by the front edge portion and the shoulders 92 and 93, above described. When so mounted the projections 9!" of the plates serve to space the guide bars 95 and 96 so as to provide sufficient clearance for cooperating movement of the belts 5! and 52 respectively. The other side plate (not shown) in each set and employed in the modified construction of the apparatus will be formed similar to the inner side plate H shown in Fig. 9, as previously described, but will differ therefrom in that the front edge portion will be provided with the projection 91, as shown in the modified construction of plate shown in Fig. 10, in place of the slots 86 and 81.

It will thus be apparent that in accordance with the present invention, a construction of feeding device of the belt type is provided which has considerable advantages over any of the prior art constructions commonly employed in the art, the arrangement of the present invention being such as to permit the belt driving rolls 4'! and 48 to be removed simultaneously from its support in the cap bar and to enable insertion or withdrawal of both cradles and the associated belts and guide bars and driving rolls as an entire unit assembly without the necessity for either stopping the complete machine or of severing the lower belt as has heretofore been the practice.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a drawing mechanism for textile slivers or rovings utilizing a pair of endless belts disposed one above the other in cooperating relation for conducting the slivers or rovings, the combination of a frame for laterally guiding the belts composed of spaced parallel side plates united together into a rigid unitary structure by two cross-bar guide members for internally guiding the front loops of the belts, said cross-bar belt guiding members being detachably secured at their opposite ends to said side plates in spaced relation at the front edge portions thereof, the opposite ends of each of said cross-bar members being provided with longitudinal projections having interfitting relation with shoulders formed on the front edges of said side plates, each of said cross-bars having a forwardly tapered front edge portion to engage the inner circumferential surface of an endless belt.

' 2. In a drawing mechanism for textile slivers or rovings utilizing a pair of endless belts disposed one above the other in cooperating relation for conducting the slivers or rovings, and upper and lower removable rolls driving the said belts, the combination of a frame for laterally guiding the belts composed of spaced parallel side plates united together into a rigid unitary structure by two cross-bar guide members for internally guiding the front loops of the belts, said plates having top and bottom recesses to detachably receive said rolls in parallel cross-wise relation between said side plates, said cross-bar belt guiding members being detachably secured at their opposite ends to said side plates in spaced relation at the front edge portions thereof, the opposite ends of each of said cross-bar members being provided with longitudinal projections having interfitting relation with shoulders formed on the front edges of said side plates, each of said cross-bars having a forwardly tapered front edge portion to engage the inner circumferential surface of an endless belt, said belts serving to maintain the driving rolls therefor in assembled position in the recesses in said frame to form a unitary demountable mechanism.

3. In a drawing mechanism for textile slivers or rovings utilizing a pair of endless belts disposed one above the other in cooperating relation, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel arm members hingedly mounted at one end for movement to and from a horizontal position with opposed channels, one in each of the oppositely disposed sides of said arm members, said channels being vertical longitudinally in the horizontal position ofsaid arm members, a pair of rolls driving the said belts and removably supported at their ends one above the other in said channels for rotation therein, a frame for laterally guiding the belts composed of spaced side plates united together into a unitary structure by two crossbar guide members for internally guiding the front loops of the belts, said plates having top and bottom recesses to receive said rolls and be mounted thereon, said cross-bar members being detachably secured at their opposite ends to said side plates in spaced relation at the front edges thereof, each of said cross-bar belt guiding members having a forwardly tapered front edge portion to engage the inner circumferential surface of an endless belt, said belts serving to maintain the driving rolls therefor in assembled position in said frame to form a unitary demountable mechanism removable as a unit from the channels in said arm members.

JOHN FREDERICK JACKSON. 

